Work holding means for typewriting machines



BEST AVAfLABLE COPY April 4, 1939. E. 1.. WISE WORK HOLDING MEANS FOR TYPEWRITING MACHINES Filed Aug. 25, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l HZ W INVENTOR ELMER L. WISE K TTORNEY BEST AVAlLABLE COPY Aprll 4, 1939. E. L. WESE WORK HOLDING MEANS FOR TYPEWRLTING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 25, 1957 INVENTOR ELM/5R L. WISE TTORNEY BEST AVAlLABLE COPY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE WORK HOLDING MEANS FOR TYPE- WRITING MACHINES Elmer L. Wise, Bridgeport, Conn, assignor to Underwood Elliott Fisher Company,

New

York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application August 25,

13 Claims.

This invention relates to work holding means for typewriting machines, and is particularly directed in its use to typewriting machines of the flatbed type, as the well-known Elliott-Fisher machine.

In such machines, it is old, as indicated in the U. S. patents to Ziegler, 843,057, February 5, 1907; Laganke, 778,454, December 2'2, 196%, and Stephenson, 1,128,382, February 16, 1915, to provide the flat platen with a so-called work-holding member in the form of a metallic or other flexible tape extending longitudinally of the platen throughout its length, and suitably secured to the front and rear cross rods or bars of the platensupporting frame so as to be adjustable across, that is to say, transversely, of the platen from side to side thereof.

In many instances, the rear end of the work holder was attached to a rotatable shaft or a laterally shiftable bar urged by'a spring in such direction as to take up the slack in the flexible work-holding member to maintain the tape taut, and patent to Stephenson shows the forward ends of his work-holding tapes secured to card guides, and adjustable with the guides transversely, but not longitudinally, of the platen.

The present invention is directed to the solution of an entirely different problem.

It is a well recognized fact that the platens of typewriting machines become pitted through use, and many adjustments have been proposed to vary the step by step feed of round platens so that the types will not constantly strike on the same peripheral lines, thus to distribute the wear or pitting over the entire platen surface.

Flat platen machines are subject to the same disadvantage. In certain bookkeeping systems, the checks, and the proof or audit sheet are collated with manifolding material interposed, to enable the operator to make out the checks and simultaneously enter the same data on the proof or audit sheet. It is customary to position successive checks over the same area on the platen, the proof or audit sheet being shifted relatively to such area to enable the manifolded entries to be successively listed thereon.

As a result, that portion of the platen becomes mutilated or unfit for use while the remainder of the platen is comparatively smooth.

One object of this invention is to improve upon the prior art by providing work holding means progressively adjustable over the platen area to distribute the wear thereover.

Another object is to enable the use of continuous form work strips or webs, as checks, con- 1937, Serial No. 160,817

nected end to end separated by lines of perforations, with a work holder adjustable longitudinally of a flat platen, and to properly guide the check strip transversely of the platen in any longitudinally adjusted position of the holder.

A further object is to provide in connection with a progressively adjustable work holder, a novel means for attaching such work holder to the machine through which means the progressive adjustment is efiected without necessarily increasing the tension of. the means which maintains the work holder taut.

The foregoing objects and advantages together with others, will be more fully explained hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. l is a perspective view of the platen of the well-known Elliott-Fisher machine, equipped with one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail side view of a means to guide the strip of forms, as checks, onto the platen;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view through the frame of the machine, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the combined work holding, guiding and tear-01f tape;

Fig, 5 is a detail perspective view of the bottom of the rear bracket by which the rear end of the work holder tape is connected to the machine frame, the parts being shown in their rearmost adjustment;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the pocket or slit provided in the tape to hold and guide the work, showing also the finger recesses to permit manual withdrawal of the transverse work strip step by step; and,

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail perspective view from beneath, of the means for releasably attaching the leading end of the work holding tape to the front of the machine.

The Elliott-Fisher typewriting machine is characterized by a relatively stationary fiat platen mounted in a platen frame. The work sheets are supported on the upper face of the flat platen. A line spacing frame is mounted on the side bars of the platen frame to shift towards and from the front of the machine, and is provided with transverse rails on which a key carriage travels in letter spacing direction and return across the 4 platen 12 being located between the side bars, and supported for vertical movement in any convenient manner, as shown, for instance, in the Foothorap patent above-mentioned, or in Foothorap, 2,002,695, May 28, 1935.

Ledges 13, (Figs. 1 and 3), projecting inwardly from the inner faces of the side bars arrest the platen at its upper limit of travel, the side edges of the platen co-acting with the under faces of the ledges l3 to clamp in place the left hand marginal edges of work sheets (not shown) positioned on the platen and aligned with the left hand side bar.

An endless belt l3 embraces the right hand edge of the platen, the belt being mounted on pulleys l5 suitably journaled on the inner face of the right hand side bar ID in front and in rear of the platen, one or both courses of the belt bearing projecting pins or studs IE to enter perforations formed in the right hand margin of a proof sheet or other work piece, indicated at I! by dot and dash lines, Fig. 1.

A hand twirler I8 connected with the front pulley l5 enables the operator to feed the proof sheet along the platen and position it wherever desired.

A similar proof sheet feeding tape is shown in U. S. patent to Foothorap, 1,596,420, August 17, 1926, to which reference may be had for a more complete explanation thereof.

The foregoing features are old and constitute a part of the present invention only insofar as they co-act with the novel devices now to be set forth.

Hitherto, it has been the practice to provide a work holder in the form of a flexible tape extending from rear to front of, and lying upon the platen, beneath which tape the work sheets were inserted, the tape operating, in some instances, to hold the work sheets flat, and as a guard to prevent curling of the leading and following edges. In other instances, these tapes served as gages with which the bights of folded forms were alined.

Such work holding tapes were sometimes equipped with card holding means, as in Laganke, 778,454 and Stephenson, 1,128,382, heretofore mentioned, which card holders or gages, in Stephensons disclosure, are adjustable longitudinally of the platen, the tapes being bodily adjustable transversely only of the platen for adjustment to the widths of the sheets or cards.

The tapes of the prior art ably fulfilled the purposes for which they were designed, but in the present invention, the work holding tape or member is utilized for the accomplishment of a different purpose or function, not contemplated by the tapes of the prior art and not obtainable by the use of such former tapes.

This invention distinguishes in some respects from the prior art, one such difference being that the work holding tape is bodily shiftable endwise (longitudinally) of the platen, and by progressive increments, while retaining its distance laterally from the sides of the platen.

Where a machine is used to a great extent for making single or double line entries on the work sheets, positioned and removed over the same printing area the battering of the types against such constant area on the platen, will pit it in time, so that clear, even imprints are no longer obtainable, the remaining platen surface being smooth.

Especially does this result occur in those businesses which issue a large number of checks.

The present invention is designed to relieve this condition by providing means whereby, when one area of the platen becomes unfit for use, the

checks may be positioned to feed across the next adjacent unpitted area, the check holding and guiding means being shiftable progressively longitudinally of the platen to lead the check forms over unbattered areas as the preceding areas hecome too badly pitted for use.

To these and other ends, I have provided a flexible tape l9, generally of metal, extending from end to end of the platen l2 on which the tape lies taut, it being attached at its opposite ends to a front apron ll extending between the side bars l0, and to the rear platen cross brace I I.

The tape is provided intermediate its ends with a pocket to accommodate the leading end of a strip 2! composed of a series of continuous form checks, separated by lines of perforations 22.

Considering the attaching means for the rear end of the tape, I provide a bracket 23, (Figs. 1, 4 and 5), flanged at its rear end, as at 24, to take behind the rear cross brace H. The flange 24 is slotted, as indicated by the dotted lines 25 in Fig. 4, to accommodate the fastening screws 26 by which the bracket is secured to the rear cross brace H, and to provide for an aligning adjustment with the attaching means for the front end of the work-holding tape, as hereinafter explained.

The body portion of the bracket 23 extends forwardly beyond the rear cross brace II, a slidable shoe 2'! being adjustably secured by headed screws 28 to the under, forwardly extending face of the bracket, the screws passing downwardly through the overhanging bracket and through parallel slots 29 formed longitudinally of the shoe. Nuts 28 on the projecting lower ends of the screws, coact with the screws to clamp the shoe and bracket together.

A guide box 30 grooved or channelled from front to rear, as indicated at 3!, is, in turn, fastened to the lower face of the sliding shoe '21, a spacing plate 32 being interposed between the channelled guide box and the bracket to provide clearance for a tension or retracting spring 33.

The rear end of the Work holding tape or meniber l9 extends loosely through the channel 3| in the guide box 30, the forward end of the retracting spring 33 being connected to the protruding rear end of the tape to maintain a constant tension thereon, the rear end of the spring being anchored to the lower end of a screw stud 34 carried by and projecting below the shoe 21. The upper end of the screw stud conveniently passes through a guide slot 35 formed longitudinally of the horizontal, forwardly projecting bracket 23, and a nut 34 coacts with the threaded stud 34 to hold the rear end of the shoe snugly against the under face of the overhanging bracket.

The forward end of the tape l9, (Figs. 4 and 7), is provided with a series of take-up holes 36, any of which may accommodate a headed stud 31 depending from the under face of a flanged, horizontal gripping plate 38, the flange of which conveniently takes over the front edges of the front paper apron I l which may be slotted, as shown in Fig. 1, to afford a guide for longitudinally arranged webs extending therethrough, (not shown). when used on the machine.

A fastening screw 39 passes through the apron i l Fig. 7, and into a threaded opening 41 in the gripping plate 38 to secure the gripping plate tightly to the apron, the extended free end of the work-holding tape, if any, in front of the headed stud 31, being clamped between the gripping plate 38 and the apron, as shown. If desired, a slot BEST AVAlLABLE coPi' 540, (Fig. 4), maybe formed through the apron I I? to facilitate adjustment of the gripping plate 38 longitudinally of the apron corresponding with 'the adjustment permitted the bracket 23, to em able the work-holding tape 19 to be positioned parallel with the side frames iii.

In first applying the tape to the platen I2, the

bracket 23 may be attached loosely to the rear cross brace H, the fastening screws 26 being given but a few turns in their threaded holes, in the cross brace, so as to permit adjustment of the bracket along the cross brace.

The spring 33 has drawn the rear end of the ';tape 9 to its rearmost position, the shoe 2'! being held in its rearward position relatively to the bracket 23 by the guiding and clamping screws 28, and the central guide stud 34 is at the rear end of its slot 35. 1

The gripping plate 38 is loosely attached to the front apron I l with one of the perforations 36 on the end of the tape hooked over the anchor stud 37, the excess end of the tape extending between the bottom of the gripping plate and the apron.

' If the end of the tape is too long to fit in the position shown in Fig. '1, it is broken off by bending the thin metal back and forth until crystallized, or otherwise detached.

After the bracket, gripping plate and tape are aligned, the leading end of the tape may be detached from the stud 3i and drawn forwardly slightly to tension the spring 33, the tape being again hooked on the stud to retain the spring under tension, so that the spring holds the-tape fiat upon the platen, after which the screws 25 and 39 may be turned down tightly to retain the work holder where adjusted.

This adjustment of the tape will position the rear end of the elongated pocket 20, substantially opposite and in line with the rear end of an elongated slot 42 formed, conveniently, in the left hand side bar it on a plane with the platen I2, l2 (see Fig. 3).

The pocket 25 may be formed in the tape in any suitable manner, that shown being formed by welding or rivetting a pair of spacing blocks 43, (Fig. 6), to the tape at a distance apart equal to the width of the work sheet to be accommodated, and attaching an auxiliary length of tape 44 by similar means to the spacing blocks 43.

The slot 42in the platen frame side bar ii) may be ce-extensive in length with the length of the platen or any less distance.

In the drawings, the slot 42 is substantially half as long as the entire platen, an adjustable guide 45 being applied to the outer face of the slotted side bar, as indicated in Figs. 1. to 3, both inclusive.

This guide plate 45 extends over the slot 42 and is slotted in registry therewith, as at 46, which last-named slot corresponds substantially in length with the length of the pocket 29.

When the parts are in their initial positions shown in 1, the slot 46 lies in alignment with the pocket 20. Fastening screws 4'! pass into the side bar It through an adjusting slot 48 in the guide plate 45, to hold the guide plate where set, and. to enable the guide plate to be advanced progressively, as the tape 19 is advanced, so that the slot 46 may always be in line with the pocket 20 in the tape.

The invention is adaptable to several different functions in the performance of bookkeeping, one only of which need be explained.

The tape i9 having been applied, as above explained, or in any other convenient manner, so

that the pocket 2!] lies in line with the rear end of the slot 42 in the side. bar, and the guide plate 45 having been adjusted to position its guide slot 46 in line with the pocket, the machine is ready to accommodate the work pieces H and 2|.

The left hand edge of the work sheet i7 is first slid under the tensioned work-holding tape IS, the perforations on the right hand margin of the sheet being placed over the studs l 6 on the work feeding endless belt Hi.

The customary manifolding web, (not shown), is led longitudinally of the platen, as shownin U. S. Patent to Foothorap, 1,268,954, June 11, 1918, over the work sheet [1.

This Web has been omitted to avoid confusion, and in any event, forms no part of the invention.

The platen, if depressible, is lowered to enable the leading end of a continuous supply of check forms 2i to be led through the registering slots 46 and 42 in the guide plate 45 and side bar In, respectively, and thence across the platen and over the work sheet l1, and the manifolding material, the leading end of the continuous strip of forms being entered in the pocket 20 of the work holding tape l9, which tape overlying the work sheet maintains it flat on the platen. The platen is then returned to normal position wherein it co-acts with the ledges !3 to clamp the work strip 2! against accidental displacement.

The leading check form is now typed, after which the key carriage is retired to afford access to the check, so that the operator after depressing the platen to release the strip, can grasp the extreme right hand end of the check strip exposed by the registering finger recesses 19 formed in the outer edges of the pocket 2! and pull the filled-in check outwardly to the right from the pocket until the line of perforations 22 is in alignment with the outer or right hand edges of the pocket, the upper edge serving as a tearingoif or severing means to enable the operator to detach. the check from the strip.

The withdrawal of the first check through thepocket 20 advances the check strip to position the succeeding check form at the printing area. The operator then operates the twirler 18 to feed the work sheet I! rearwardly a sufiicient distance to bring the next blank writing line beneath the first line of the check to be filled in and returns the platen to normal position. Then, he draws the key carriage forwardly, and writes the second check, after which the foregoing operations are repeated.

Whenever the platen surface in use becomes too battered and mutilated due to the impact of the types, to aiford a sufiiciently clear imprint, typing is suspended until the parts can be adjusted to lead the check strip over an unmutilated area of the platen.

To effect such adjustment, generally, the nuts 28 and 34*, (if previously, the latter has been tightened) are backed off to free the shoe 2'1 for advancement bodily relatively to the bracket 23. Similarly, the screw 39 is backed off suificiently to enable the detachment of the front end of the work-holding tape I9 from its anchor stud 37, and to relieve the clamping action of the gripping plate 38 and apron Il on the extended end of the tape.

, After such detachment, the tape I9 is drawn forwardly until the pocket 20 is'in line with an unmutilated platen area. If the writing lines are a suflicient distance apart, the tape need be advanced' 'only so that its pocket will position the new writing lines intermediate the former writing lines, but should the platen surface be too badly chipped, it may be necessary to advance the pocket a distance substantially equal to the length of the pocket.

In any event, the draught on the tape will correspondingly advance the shoe 2! relatively to its bracket 23, due to the link connection formed by the spring 33 between the rear end of the tape l9 and the shoe 21, and when the pocket has been satisfactorily adjusted relatively to the platen, the excess length at the forward end of the tape is detached or broken off, and the tape 19 again hooked on its anchor stud 31 by means of 2 one of the perforations 36.

To tauten the tape, the operator may grasp the loosened nut 34 and shift it rearwardly together with the shoe 2'! to tension the spring 33, the guide box 30 sliding over the rear end of the tape, after which the nuts 28 and 3t may be turned down to retain the tension in the spring, and hold the tape taut.

The screws 41, (Fig. 2), holding the slotted uide plate 45, are loosened to enable the guide plate to be adjusted to align with the adjusted pocket 20, after which the screws are tightened and the machine is again ready for operation.

The rear bracket 23 and its sliding shoe 21 form a telescopic connection between the work-holding tape l9 and the rear cross brace I I.

And the adjustment of the shoe 2'! and spring 33, relatively to the bracket 23 enables a uniform tension to be applied to the work-holding tape in any of its adjusted positions, with no excessive strain on the spring.

Of course, the excessive or surplus end of workholding tape, obtained by the progressive advance of the tape, need not be severed from the main portion, but if desired, can be led down in front of the paper apron behind the flange of the gripping plate, to hang loosely therebeneath.

To prolong the life of the platen as much as possible, the section l2 thereof may be laminated with a covering considerably harder than the usual platen surface to resist the battering impact of the types, which, for check writing, may be arranged to perforate the check material,

Changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the several parts described, and certain of the novel features may be used irrespective of others without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new, is:

1. The combination with a platen; of a workholding means adjustable longitudinally relatively to the platen; telescopic means to attach the work holding means at its opposite ends in position to lie upon the platen; the surplus end of the work-holding means adapted to be severed,

;. as said means is adjusted progressively in one direction longitudinally of the platen.

2. The combination with a frame, and a platen supported therein; of a combined work-holding and guiding member progressively adjustable longitudinally of the platen; means on the frame at one end of the platen with which the workholding and guiding member is releasably connected, to secure one end of the member; a slotted bracket on the frame at the opposite end of the platen; a slotted shoe; releasable fastenings passing through the slots in the shoe to secure the shoe to the bracket for relative adjustment; a channeled guide block connected to the shoe, the remaining end of the work-holding and guiding member passing through the channel in the guide block; an extensible spring anchored to the shoe and connected to the rear end of the work-holding and guiding members; and a guide between the shoe and the bracket.

3. The combination with a platen; of a flexible, work-holding tape arranged longitudinally of the platen; a retaining means to which one end of the tape is releasably connected; a bracket associated with the opposite end of the tape, the bracket having a slot formed therein parallel with the tape; a slotted shoe; fastenings passing through the slots in the shoe to adjustably connect the shoe and bracket; an apertured guide fastened to the shoe, the end of the tape passing through the aperture in the guide; a spring cnnecting the end of the tape and the shoe behind the guide; and a guide on the shoe, projecting into the slot in the bracket.

4. The combination with a fiat platen; of a flexible work-guiding, holding and tear-off means progressively adjustable longitudinally of the platen; and fastening means to attach the firstnamed means in position to lie taut upon the platen.

5. The combination with a frame, and a platen; of a combined work-guiding and holding means progressively adjustable longitudinally of the platen; means to attach the first-named means in position to lie upon the platen; the workguiding and holding means being slotted to accommodate the leading end of a web of continuous forms; the frame having a longer slot than the slot in the combined work-guiding and holding means, to enable the continuous forms to be fed transversely over different portions of the platen; and a bridle plate having a slot substantially equal in length to the slot in the workholding and guiding means, and adjustable relatively to the slot in the frame to maintain the reach of continuous forms in alinement with the slot in the work-holding and guiding means, as the latter is adjusted longitudinally of the platen.

6. The combination with a platen; of a workholding tape extending longitudinally thereof; means to adjust the work-holding tape longitudinally of the platen progressively, as succeeding platen areas become unfit for use, including a stationary bracket; a member having an adjustable connection with the bracket; means to secure the bracket and adjustable member in any of their relatively adjusted positions; and a resilient link connecting the work-holding tape and the adjustable member.

7. The combination with a platen; of a workholding tape, the effective length of which is adapted to be progressively shortened; means to anchor one end of the tape; a stationary member adjacent the opposite end of the tape; a shiftable member adjustably connected to the stationary member; and a resilient link to connect the adjacent end of the tape to the shiftable member, to maintain a substantially uniform tension on the tape.

8. The combination with a platen; of a workholding tape progressively advanced in the direction of its length upon the platen; means with which the tape is releasably and progressively connected to anchor one end of the tape as the latter is progressively advanced; a suitable support; a shiftable member adjustably mounted on the support; and a tension means to connect the opposite end of the tape and the adjustable member to enable any desired tension to be applied to and maintained on the tape notwithstanding its progressive advance relatively to the support.

BEST AVAlLABLE COPY 9. The combination with a platen; of a workholding tape progressively advanced in the direction of its length upon the platen; means with which the tape is releasably and progressively connected to anchor one end of the tape as the latter is progressively advanced; a suitable support; a shiftable member adjustably mounted on the support; a tension means to connect the opposite end of the tape and the adjustable member to enable any desired tension to be applied to and maintained on the tape notwithstanding its progressive advance relatively to the support; and means to guide the shiftable member on its support.

10. The combination with a frame and a platen; of a work-holding device bodily and progressively adjustable in the direction of its length along the platen; anchoring means with which one end of the work-holding device is releasably and progressively engaged; a let-off means to enable the progressive adjustment of the workholding device; and a tension link constituting a yielding connection between the let-off means and the work-holding device.

11. In a flat bed writing machine, the combination with a frame, and a platen supported therein; of a combined work-holding and guiding tape, having a flexible pocket formed intermediate its ends to accommodate the leading end of a web of continuous forms, the frame being slotted to enable the web to be fed transversely of the platen to the pocket; a spring to maintain the tape taut; and means to enable the progressive adjustment of the Work-holding and guiding tape with its pocket bodily in the direction of its length relatively to the slotted frame and platen and yet maintain the tension of the spring substantially constant.

12. The combination with a platen; of a workholding means adjustable lon itudinally of the platen; attaching means to support the workholding means at its opposite ends in position on the platen; a compensating member adjustably fastened to one of the attaching means; a resilient connection between one end of the Workholding means and the compensating member; and an adjustable take-up connection between the opposite end of the work-holding means and the remaining attaching means, to enable the Work-holding means to be progressively advanced with its compensation member bodily in the direction of its length, relatively to the platen without increasing the tension of the resilient con nection.

13. In a flat bed Writing machine, the combination with a frame, and a platen supported therein; of a flexible tape arranged longitudinally of the platen, and having a flexible pocket formed intermediate its ends; the fral e being slotted to enable a Work web to be fed therethrough transversely of the platen and through the pocket; means to releasably anchor one end of the tape; an attaching means; a shoe adjustably fastened to the attaching means; a tape guide on the shoe, through which the tape freely passes; and a tension link connecting the shoe and the remaining end of the tape, to adapt the tape for progressive advancement bodily in the direction of its length without increasing the stress of the tension link.

ELMER L. WISE.

3E8? AVNLABLE COPY CERTIFICATE OF commcuziow..v Patent No. 2,152,9Lm. April LL, 19 9.

ELMER L., WISE. A It is hereby certified thaterror appears in the printed specification oi the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page i second column, 1ine'5,'c1aim 2, for "members" read member; 1ine 2O claim L after "flexible" insert combined; page 5, second column, line 15, claim 12, for

theword "compensation" read compensating; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of thecase, in thePatent Office.

Signed and sealed this 16th day of May,-A. D. 1959.

Henry Van Arsdale (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

